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01/10 canadian architect 5

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9 news NewArtGalleryofAlbertaopens;callforsubmissionsforthe2010NationalUrbanDesignAwards.

32 technicalKathyVelikovandGeoffreyThündescribethecomplexprocessofdesigningandbuildingNorthHouse,animportantprototypeforsustainableliving.

35 reportLeslieJencommentsontherecentspec-tacleofCERSAIE2009,amassiveinter-nationaltradeshowdevotedexclusivelytoceramictileandbathroomfurnishingsheldeachyearinBologna,Italy.

40 calendarLeonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of ManattheVancouverArtGallery;FrancineHou-benofMecanooArchitectenlecturesatRyersonUniversity.

42 BackpageAnarchitectstrivestoconvertaportionofToronto’sGardinerExpresswayintoanelevatedparkinthecity’sdowntowncore.

16 ManitoBa hydro place this laNdmarK projeCt iN wiNNipeG represeNts a CritiCal juNCture iN the trajeCtory

of sustaiNable desiGN, outperformiNG eveN its owN striNGeNt eNerGy reduCtioN tarGets. teXt peter sampsoN

24 langara college liBrary and student centre

the iNCorporatioN of bold formal Gestures iN this faCility by teeple arChiteCts iN assoCiatioN with ibi/hb arChiteCts provides a welCome ChaNGe iN the City of vaNCouver. teXt matthew soules

coVer maNitoba hydro plaCe iN wiNNipeG. photo by eduard hueber.

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The NaTioNal Review of DesigN aND PRacTice/The JouRNal of RecoRD of The Raic

jaNuary 2010, v.55 N.01

contents

6 canadian architect 01/10

We acknoWledge the financial support of the government of canada through the publications assistance program toWards our mailing costs.

pap registration no. 11093

editorIan ChodIkoff, OAA, MRAIC

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regional correspondentshalifax ChrIstIne MaCy, OAA regina bernard fLaMan, SAAmontreal davId theodore calgary davId a. down, AAAWinnipeg herbert enns, MAA vancouver adeLe weder

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Ian ChodIkoff ichodikoff@canadianarchitect.coM

above Led by busby PerkIns + wILL and ConCord PaCIfIC, shaPe vanCouver 2050 Is an onLIne researCh InItIatIve Intended to GuIde future PoLICIes reGardInG urban densIfICa-tIon and sustaInabILIty.

viewpoint

Because competition amongst Vancouver archi-tects is so high (the city has the highest concen-tration of architects per capita in Canada), many firms have been forced to either merge their practices—as Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects has done recently with Cohos Evamy—or engage in research that distinguishes them from the rest of the pack. Bing Thom Architects has developed research and policy reports on housing and changing demographics. Henriquez Partners Architects intends to publish an issues-related book every two years—its latest volume is to be released shortly. Although many of the city’s architecture firms are staffed with “LEED-ites” who are well-versed in all things “sustain-able,” one firm—Busby Perkins + Will—remains the leader in this regard. Under the direction of Peter Busby, who continues to use that rare com-bination of strong design skills and business acumen to advocate for greener cities, Busby Per-kins + Will has recently launched a new online poll to question Vancouverites’ opinion of their precious skyline and the environmental implica-tions of intensifying the city’s downtown core.

For those unfamiliar with the shape of Van-couver’s downtown peninsula, it is a carefully monitored and controlled entity, with view cones (developed in part by Busby Bridger Architects in 1989), height restrictions and design guide-lines that have taken decades to develop and ac-cept. But as the city grows, what are the real benefits of mitigating Vancouver’s carbon foot-print, and what are the realistic limitations to its growth? Entitled “Shape Vancouver 2050” (www.shapevancouver.com), Busby’s initiative was developed in conjunction with the developer Concord Pacific. The project involves an inter-active website allowing visitors to clearly visual-ize—through the manipulation of building heights and densities—how taller buildings can affect variables like carbon savings, energy consump-tion, infrastructure costs and automobile usage.

The survey makes no claim that tall buildings are a panacea for our cities’ environmental ills, but it certainly makes us aware of how many dol-

lars, tonnes of carbon, and cubic feet of asphalt can be saved if we can promote higher-density urban living. Shape Vancouver is merely intend-ed to gauge the public’s opinion of the extent to which we can alter Vancouver’s skyline for the better, being careful to note that “it does not pro-vide metrics for more complex issues such as af-fordability, amenities, transportation or other social issues.” The initial results were released in mid-January with ongoing results and commen-tary continuing thereafter. Based on responses from participants, an average build-out should be developed by the beginning of February.

Hopefully, the survey will provide guidance for the City of Vancouver to correlate issues affecting sustainable design practices with existing and in-creasingly obsolete zoning regulations. The City’s planning department still struggles to develop a firm direction regarding the implementation of proactive sustainable planning measures. But while the City has been promoting its EcoDensity and Greenest City platforms, Busby has been working hard at testing and evolving the implica-tions of increased density through his own list of projects, especially in the areas surrounding the Canada Line, for which his firm has been com-missioned to design three stations.

While we appreciate Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson’s 2020 action plan entitled “A Bright Green Future”—part of his desire to make Van-couver the greenest city in the world by 2020—the City would be wise to move beyond motherhood statements and gear up toward an action plan that promotes and builds real projects, not just pub-lish a wish list of benchmarks. Simply put, if the implications of Shape Vancouver 2050 and its findings are folded into building and zoning regu-lations, the City will find that its accomplish ments may prove more tangible than any of its intermin-able eco-reports. It isn’t just the com pe tition amongst Vancouver architects that is fierce, but also that city’s need to compete on the global stage. Vancouver must shape up, or lose its capa city to become a global leader in sustainable living.

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news

aBOVe The ArT GAllery of AlberTA (AGA) will open iTs renovATed And expAnded premises AT The end of JAnuAry. desiGned by los AnGeles-bAsed rAndAll sTouT ArchiTecTs, The build-inG AppeArs To be inspired by frAnk Gehry’s ApproAch To civic-buildinG desiGn.

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new art Gallery of alberta opens.Designed by Los Angeles-based Randall Stout Architects, the renovation and expansion of the new Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) was completed this month and opened to the public. Located on Sir Winston Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton—the city’s arts and government core, the addition/renovation project has upgraded and expanded the original 1960s Brutalist con-crete structure with galleries and art-handling facilities, featuring a significant increase in the number of exhibition spaces, including gallery space for the AGA’s permanent collection of more than 5,000 pieces of art. Additionally, a new off-site collection storage facility was com-pleted as part of the first phase of the New Vision project. An expanded art education centre doubles the number of classroom/studio spaces, complemented by a new restaurant, gallery shop, and the renovation of a 150-seat theatre. New public event areas have been incorporated, like the soaring four-storey entry lobby, the Gallery Great Hall, a multi-purpose theatre, a café, a gal-lery shop, a “floating” private members’ lounge, and an outdoor sculpture terrace. Edmonton’s underground light rail transportation system (LRT) and public pedway are accessible from the main entry lobby. The new building totals 84,000 square feet, adding 27,000 square feet of new public spaces and galleries and approximately 24,000 square feet of interior exhibition space. The duality of Edmonton’s urban grid layout juxta posed against the winding contours of the North Saskatchewan River is reflected in the square and curved components of the new design, while the swirling forms of the Aurora Borealis provided inspiration for the building’s main stainless steel feature.www.youraga.ca

Levitt Goodman architects to design new Learning commons at York University.York University has selected Levitt Goodman Architects to develop detailed designs for its com-petition-winning design for a 26,390-square-foot renovation of York University’s main library on its Keele campus. The “Learning Commons” will provide users with a mix of group study areas that will shift York University’s 40-year-old Scott Library into a progressive learning environment. The $2-million renovation will be the first initia-tive on the campus specifically designed to reflect York’s pedagogical shift from a teacher-centred approach to active and collaborative learning. The firm’s winning scheme offers a mix of open and semi-private multi-purpose areas designed to promote interaction, collaboration and group

study. The first part of the multi-phased initiative will proceed under the direction of Brock James, Levitt Goodman’s partner-in-charge of the pro-ject. The library will remain open during the con-struction period, which is expected to commence in the spring of 2010, with a projected completion date for the start of the fall semester. The firm’s recent library projects include the Musagetes library at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, Bridgenorth Library, the five-year multimillion-dollar renovation of the Queens Square Central Branch of the Cambridge Libraries system and the $24.9-million renovation of the Kitchener Public Library (in association with Walter Fedy Partnership and Phillip H. Carter Architect) which will be completed in 2013.

diamond and schmitt architects design algonquin college centre for construction excellence.The looming shortage of skilled trades workers across Canada served as the catalyst for the planned Centre for Construction Excellence at the Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Tech-nology. Diamond and Schmitt Architects in col-laboration with Edward J. Cuhaci and Associates Architects have designed a 180,000-square-foot building that will consolidate all of Algonquin College’s trades education programs under one roof. With classrooms, studios, laboratories and shops for 600 construction students and for thousands more studying in related programs,

the LEED Platinum-certified building will be a teaching laboratory for best practices in sustain-able construction. The $77-million Centre for Construction Excellence is expected to be com-plete by fall 2011. Located in Ottawa, Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is the largest college in Eastern Ontario with 18,000 full-time students and more than 33,000 part-time students registered in over 140 programs.

awards

call for submissions for the 2010 national Urban design awards.Urban design plays an important role in main-taining and enhancing the quality of life in Cana-dian cities. The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), the Canadian Institute of Plan-ners (CIP) and the Canadian Society of Land-scape Architects (CSLA) in cooperation with Ca-nadian municipalities, wish to promote public and private awareness of that role. For this rea-son, an Urban Design Awards program has been established to recognize individuals, organiza-tions, firms and projects that have contributed to the quality of life in our Canadian cities and their sustainability. There are six different categories of urban design projects, and one award will be bestowed for each category: Urban Design Plans; Urban Fragments; Urban Architecture; Commu-nity Improvement Projects; Civic Design Pro-jects; and Student Projects. The jury members

A groundbreaking study on Canadian architectural firms

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How does your firm measure up? Compare your firm to the most profitable firms in Canada. What are they doing that you’re not? Also, find answers to these questions and more:

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are: Vincent Asselin, FCSLA (Montreal); Nigel Baldwin, FRAIC (Vancouver); and Don Hester, FCSLA, MCIP (Winnipeg). Entry forms and binders must be received before 4:00pm on Feb-ruary 11, 2010.www.raic.org/honours_and_awards/awards_urban/2010call/urban-submission_e.htm

c3 community care consortium wins 2009 academy award for Mental health design.The C3 Community Care Consortium—comprised of Montgomery Sisam Architects, Kearns Manci-ni Architects and KPMB Architects—has recently been honoured with an Academy Award from the International Academy of Design and Health for Mental Health Design. The Academy recognizes mental health design projects that provide a civi-lized and humane setting to support therapeutic intervention. The Award was given for Phase IA of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto. CAMH is Canada’s leading addiction and health treatment centre, and suc-ceeds in transforming the lives of affected indi-viduals by applying the latest in scientific ad-vances through integrated and compassionate clinical practice, education, research and care.

Pugh + scarpa architects to receive 2010 aia architecture Firm award.The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Board of Directors voted for Pugh + Scarpa Architects to receive the 2010 AIA Architecture Firm Award. Given annually, the award is the highest honour the AIA bestows on an architecture firm and rec-ognizes a practice that consistently has produced distinguished architecture for at least 10 years. Founding partners Gwynne Pugh, AIA, and Law-rence Scarpa, AIA, along with Angela Brooks, AIA, who became a partner in 2001, are known for forging a broad, inclusive, experimental ap-proach to socially and environmentally sensitive urban planning and design. Previous recipients include Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, Leers Weinzapfel, Moore Ruble Yudell, Murphy/Jahn, and KieranTimberlake.

cOMPetitiOns

winners announced in competition for new northern Ontario school of architecture.The winners of a competition for a new school of architecture at Laurentian University were re-cently announced. The competition asked the question of what a new school of architecture can be within the unique context of Northern Ontar-io, and asked entrants to question the role of schools of architecture, defining physical, ab-stract and theoretical characteristics. It purpose-fully ignored setting strict design guidelines in

order to allow entrants complete freedom to gen-erate their own unique ideas, stipulating only that the school will provide education in either English or French, and that it must deeply engage with and learn from the First Nation communi-ties throughout the province. A jury comprised of Anne Cormier, Douglas Cardinal, Craig Dykers and Dominic Giroux awarded a first prize of $5,000 to the Italian team of Daniele Rocchio and Ferdinando Mazza from the Facoltà di Architet-tura Valle Giulia Sapienza. Second-place winners Dylan Sauer and Joe Smith from the Yale School of Architecture received $3,000 in prize money. And taking third place was Ryerson University’s Michael Blois, Sean MacLean and Jason Fung, who shared a prize of $2,000. Prizes were award-ed based on each submission’s contribution to the research, creation and critique of new ideas for a school of architecture—specifically one that serves a culturally diverse community while pro-viding an innovative and globally competitive ed-ucation. There was no specific site for the pro-ject, other than a general location within the downtown of the City of Greater Sudbury.www.laurentianarchitecture.ca

what’s new

all architects resign from city of Ottawa design review Panel.On December 7, 2009, all of the architects that were members of the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Review Panel resigned. The City was in-formed by way of a letter to Councillor Peter Hume, Chair of the Planning and Environment Committee. The Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Review Panel was established in March 2005 to provide expert peer review of urban design ele-ments of new developments in the downtown core. More than 15 major development applica-tions have been reviewed. The Design Review Panel was originally composed of seven archi-tects and three landscape architects. The resigna-tion of all of the architects leaves the Panel with only three members. Reasons cited for the resig-nation included long-overdue improvements to the design review process, the City’s continuing inaction on the Ottawa By Design section of its Official Plan, and the City’s approach to the re-development of Lansdowne Park. The architects, in their letter of resignation, state that, “while we believe that it is no longer possible to support the status quo, we do remain committed to improv-ing the quality of urban design in the city. We hope the City will take a renewed interest and commitment to urban design, but until we see substantial improvements in the approach to urban design on the part of the City, it is no lon-ger in our interest to participate.”

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2009-2010RAIC Board Members

PresidentRanjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC

1st Vice-President and President-ElectStuart Howard, FRAIC

2nd Vice-President and TreasurerDavid Craddock, MRAIC

Immediate Past PresidentPaule Boutin, AP/FIRAC

Regional Directors

Wayne De Angelis, MRAIC (British Columbia/Yukon)

Wayne Guy, FRAIC (Alberta/NWT)

Charles Olfert, MRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba)

David Craddock, MRAIC (Ontario Southwest)

Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC (Ontario North and East/Nunavut)

Claude Hamelin Lalonde, FIRAC (Quebec)

Paul E. Frank, FRAIC (Atlantic)

Chancellor of College of FellowsAlexander Rankin, FRAIC

Council of Canadian University Schools of Architecture (CCUSA)Eric Haldenby, FRAIC

Director Representing Intern ArchitectsW. Steve Boulton, MRAIC

Editorial LiaisonRalph Wiesbrock, FRAIC

Executive DirectorJon Hobbs, FRAIC

EditorSylvie Powell

The national office of the RAIC is located at:

330-55 Murray St. Ottawa ON K1N 5M3 Tel.: 613-241-3600 Fax: 613-241-5750 E-mail: info@raic.org

www.raic.orgMASThEAD PhoTo: LANGuAGE TECHNOLOGIES RE-SEARCH CENTRE AT uNIvERSITy OF QuEBEC IN OuTA-OuAIS | MENKèS SHOONER DAGENAIS LETOuRNEux ARCHITECTS / FORTIN CORRIvEAu SALvAIL ARCHITEC-TuRE + DESIGN | PHOTO: MICHEL BRuNELLE

ISSuE 32.1WINTER 2009/2010

AU RAIC Centre for Architecture receives CCMPA support The RAIC and Athabasca university (Au) recently announced the Cana-dian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA) has become the first industry partner to support the new architecture program at Au. The RAIC Centre of Architecture at Au will eventually replace the RAIC Syllabus program. The CCMPA has agreed to a long term partnership with RAIC and Au. The terms of this partnership will be formally announced in early 2010.

RAIC strategic objectives At a recent Board retreat RAIC reviewed its strategic plan and identified six areas as key issues for the 2010.

1. Regional Chapters – the development of a framework, including name, bylaws, financial and support structure

2. Festivals – recommendations for future formats for the annual conference after 2011

3. Syllabus – hiring a Director and launching the program as soon as possible

4. Fee Guidelines – promoting the new document to Owner groups

5. The 2030 Challenge – advocating for its adoption and pro-viding tools for architects to meet the challenge

6. Transition to a New Executive Director

Task Force appointed to promote Fee Guidelines Members from across Canada have been tasked with recom-mending methods to com-municate, promote, and ensure the adoption of the Guide to Determining Appropriate Fees for the Services of an Architect:

•  Nick Bevanda, MRAIC – BC•  Wayne Guy, FRAIC – Alberta/NWT•  Jeff Jurzyniec, MRAIC – Saskatchewan•  Chris Fillingham, PP/FRAIC – Ontario SW•  Claudio Brun del Re, FRAIC – Ontario NE•  Alain Fournier, FIRAC – Québec•  William Knorr, FRAIC – Atlantic

Gerrie Doyle, MRAIC will participate on behalf of the OAA and Rick Linley, FRAIC on behalf of the MAA. Alexander Rankin, FRAIC will act as RAIC Board Liaison.

RAIC launched its national fee guidelines in June 2009. The guidelines are intended for use by both clients and architects. It includes updated recommendations for percentage-based fees and is free to RAIC members.

Intern representative joins BoardThe RAIC Board of Directors is pleased to announce W. Stephen Boulton, MRAIC is joining them as a Director to represent the general interests of Intern Architects.

RAIC Syllabus Renewal FAQ online In an effort to communicate ongoing efforts regarding the Syllabus Re newal, RAIC offers the answers to frequently asked questions on its web site. Please see www.raic.org for a link off the home page.

Conseil d’administrationde l’IRAC de 2009-2010

PrésidentRanjit (Randy) K. Dhar, FRAIC

Premier vice-président et président éluStuart Howard, FRAIC

Deuxième vice-président et trésorierDavid Craddock, MRAIC

Présidente sortante de chargePaule Boutin, AP/FIRAC

Administrateurs régionaux

Wayne De Angelis, MRAIC (Colombie-Britannique/Yukon)

Wayne Guy, FRAIC (Alberta/T.N.-O.)

Charles Olfert, MRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba)

David Craddock, MRAIC (Sud et Ouest de l’Ontario)

Ralph Wiesbrock, FRAIC (Est et Nord de l’Ontario/Nunavut)

Claude Hamelin Lalonde, FIRAC (Québec)

Paul E. Frank, FRAIC (Atlantique)

Chancelier du Collège des fellowsAlexander Rankin, FRAIC

Conseil canadien des écoles universitaires d’architecture (CCÉUA)Eric Haldenby, FRAIC

Conseiller représentant les stagiairesW. Steve Boulton, MRAIC

Conseiller à la rédactionRalph Wiesbrock, FRAIC

Directeur généralJon Hobbs, FRAIC

Rédactrice en chefSylvie Powell

Le siège social de l’IRAC est situé au :

55, rue Murray, bureau 330 Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5M3 Tél. : 613-241-3600 Téléc. : 613-241-5750 Courriel : info@raic.org

www.raic.orgPhoTo EN CARToUChE DE TITRE : CENTRE DE RECHERCHE EN TECHNOLOGIES LANGAGIèRES DE L’uNIvERSITé Du QuéBEC EN OuTAOuAIS | MENKèS SHOONER DAGENAIS LETOuRNEux ARCHITECTES / FORTIN CORRIvEAu SALvAIL ARCHITECTuRE + DESIGN | PHOTO : MICHEL BRuNELLE

NuMéRO 32.1HIvER 2009/2010

Le Centre d’architecture de l’IRAC à l’AU obtient l’appui de la CCMPA L’IRAC et l’université Athabasca (Au) ont le plaisir d’annoncer que la Cana-dian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA) est le premier partenaire de l’industrie à offrir son appui au nouveau programme en archi-tecture de l’uA. Le Centre d’architecture de l’IRAC à l’uA remplacera éventuellement le programme actuel Syllabus de l’IRAC. La CCMPA a convenu d’un partenariat à long terme avec l’IRAC et l’Au. Les modalités de cette entente seront annoncées officiellement au début de 2010.

objectifs stratégiques de l’IRAC Le conseil d’administration a tenu récemment une réunion spéciale au cours de laquelle il a revu son plan stratégique. Il a décidé d’axer ses efforts sur les six domaines prioritaires qui suivent au cours de la prochaine année.

1. Sections régionales – le développement d’un cadre portant notamment sur l’appellation, les règlements administratifs et la structure financière et de soutien.

2. Festivals – recommandations quant à la forme des prochains congrès annuels après 2011.

3. Syllabus – embauche d’un directeur et lancement du program-me le plus tôt possible.

4. Guide sur les honoraires – promotion du nouveau document auprès des divers groupes de donneurs d’ouvrage.

5. Le Défi 2030 – plaider en faveur de son adoption et offrir aux architectes les outils dont ils ont besoin pour relever le défi.

6. Transition au poste de directeur général.

Création d’un groupe de travail pour promouvoir le guide national des honorairesL’IRAC a créé un groupe de travail formé d’architectes de toutes les régions du pays et lui a confié le mandat d’orienter, de développer et de recommander des méthodes en vue de la diffusion, de la promo-tion, de l’utilisation et de l’adoption du Guide aidant à déterminer les honoraires appropriés pour les ser-vices d’un architecte. Le groupe de travail est formé des membres suivants :

•  Nick Bevanda, MRAIC – Colombie-Britannique•  Wayne Guy, FRAIC – Alberta/Territoires du Nord-Ouest•  Jeff Jurzyniec, MRAIC – Saskatchewan•  Chris Fillingham, PP/FRAIC – Sud et Ouest de l’Ontario•  Claudio Brun del Re, FRAIC – Nord et Est de l’Ontario•  Alain Fournier, FIRAC – Québec•  William Knorr, FRAIC – Provinces de l’Atlantique

Gerrie Doyle, MRAIC représentera l’OAA et Rick Linley, FRAIC représen-tera le MAA. Alexander Rankin, FRAIC sera l’agent de liaison de l’IRAC.

L’IRAC a lancé son guide national sur les honoraires en juin 2009. Ce guide est conçu pour être utilisé par les clients et les architectes. Il comprend notamment des recommandations actualisées concernant les honoraires à pourcentage et est offert gratuitement aux membres de l’IRAC.

Un représentant des stagiaires au conseil d’administrationLe conseil d’admi-nistration de l’IRAC a le plaisir d’annoncer que W. Stephen Boulton, MRAIC se joint à lui pour représenter les inté-rêts généraux des stagiaires en archi-tecture.

FAQ sur le renouvellement du Syllabus de l’IRACPour mieux faire connaître les efforts continus déployés dans le dossier du renouvellement du Syllabus, l’IRAC a mis en ligne une liste des questions les plus fréquemment posées. veuillez cliquer sur le lien suivant pour y avoir accès www.raic.org.

2008 U.S. Green Building Council member organizations grow to 15,000.

WHO SHAPES THE FUTURE OF GREEN DESIGN?

You do.

What was once a quiet evolution has become a revolutionary force. Your desire for sustainable design has helped redefine the meaning of green. Since we began making nora® rubber flooring over 50 years ago, we’ve evolved with you.

Your concern for the environment continues to create new standards for designing in harmony with nature. It is why we continually explore ways to blend the best of technology with greener thinking.

It starts with you.You and your challenges.You and your world.You and nora.

800-332-NORAwww.nora.com/us/green17

1988 1,000 communities in America initiate curbside recycling.

1998 EPA launches voluntary programs for energy, water, indoor air quality, waste and smart growth.

1968 Social environmental movements take hold.

1978 Earth Day brings awareness to Earth’s need for continual care.

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mood for their recent performance in this re-gard. Amidst this weakness on ecological futures, the province is home to ex-premier-turned- ambassador Gary Doer, known internationally for his strong track record on the environment.

With the Copenhagen Summit having come to a dismally weak resolution on global emissions targets, and with Canada’s even more appallingly vague and fidgety position on the issue of climate change, many Manitobans are in a celebratory

Performing 66 Percent better than model national energy guidelines suggest, a new state-of-the-art corPorate headquarters in downtown winniPeg is setting new standards for commercial office buildings.

ProJect Manitoba Hydro Place, WinniPeg, Manitobaintegrated design team KuWabara Payne McKenna bluMberg arcHitects, sMitH carter arcHitects & engineers, transsolar KliMaengineering, Prairie arcHitects inc. teXt Peter saMPsonPhotos gerry KoPeloW and eduard Hueber

He was flown to Copenhagen to rescue the federal government’s dwindling hopes of escaping the talks unscathed. More significantly, the energy-rich province is also home to the Best Tall Build-ing in America in 2009 awarded by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), based in Chicago.

Located in downtown Winnipeg, the 22-storey headquarters for Manitoba Hydro was designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Archi-tects in conjunction with Smith Carter Architects and Engineers of Winnipeg, and climate engin-eers Transsolar of Germany. Opened earlier this year with its LEED Platinum target firmly in sight, Manitoba Hydro Place is proving to be one of the most efficient passive-energy office towers

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oPPosite toP rising along WinniPeg’s Por-tage avenue, Manitoba Hydro Place usH-ers in a neW era of office building for a city tHat already Has a ricH History of HigH-rise arcHitecture. aboVe one of tHree soutH-facing atria tHat acts as a Winter garden and lung for tHe build-ing, teMPering fresH-air intaKe tHrougH tHe use of Passive solar Heating.

in North America. Let’s face it, nothing says regional head office

like Winnipeg’s skyline and so it is with some measured sense of pride that Winnipeg’s newest addition to the stumpy vista beat out contenders from cities across the continent for the Award. What is remarkable is that this 696,000-square-foot winner is outperforming its own energy re-duction targets, no small feat in Canada’s coldest city where even modest efficiency milestones are challenging in the smallest of residential infills. With an annual Canadian temperature swing of 70 degrees Celsius, Winnipeg’s –35 degree win-ters make most Canadians wince at the thought of 100 percent fresh-air intake. “If we can build like this here,” says Tom Gouldsborough, District

Manager of Corporate Services and the visionary project manager for Manitoba Hydro, “then we can build like this anywhere.”

Despite Canada’s poor reputation in Copen-hagen, on its home continent, Manitoba Hydro Place—known locally as the Hydro Tower—is clearly a new kind of symbol for progress in this century. Manitoba has been making a name for itself on issues of sustainability through an ex-tensive and complex commitment to ecological construction and performance. Much of this ef-fort is spearheaded by the country’s fourth-lar-gest utility, a provincially owned corporation that boasts some of the lowest rates on the continent, yet still promotes energy conservation as a fun-damental mandate. In these low-dollar-per-

square-foot times, it is hard not to observe, de-spite the $278-million price tag, how far the pub-lic dollar has been stretched here. A city of 700,000 people in a province of 1 million is home to the continent’s leader in the evolution of office towers. And what’s more, in the face of re-cent international criticism of Canada, of the 25

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Shoulder Seasons/Summer Mode air is drawn naturally in through large operable windows

South Gusting Winds abundant in Winnipeg, dir-ect air into south winter gardens

Winter Garden six-storey-tall atria act as the building’s lungs, drawing fresh air in and preconditioning it before it enters the workspace

Winter Mode air is drawn in through outer mechanical units and heated by geother-mal field

Inner Heating and Cooling Units further condition air as it passes into the raised floor distribution plenum

Waterfall 24-metre-high water feature either humidifies or dehumidifies air as it enters the building

Parkade limited to 200 spots to en -courage employees to take public transit, and use parking spaces in the city

Solar Chimney 115-metre-high solar chimney uses stack effect

Shoulder Seasons/Summer Mode draws used air up and exhausts it out of the building

Exposed Ceiling Mass uses radiant heating and cooling; warm air rises and is drawn into north atria via natural pressure differences

100% Fresh Air, 24/7 in all office spaces is drawn through the raised access floor

Winter Mode chimney closes, fans draw warm exhaust air down, and recirculate it to warm the parkade. Heat exchangers recap-ture heat and return it to south winter gardens to preheat incoming air

Geothermal System 280 boreholes 125 metres deep draw excess heat or cold stored within the soil to condition the building

FresH Air exHAust Air HeAting And Cooling systems

toP a variety of cladding Material Was used on tHe Project, ranging froM loW-iron ultra-clear glass to tyndall stone and a tyndall stone-insPired frit aPPlied to a unitized curtain Wall. aboVe in addition to iMProving tHe vieW for Many office WorKers, tHe green roof HelPs reduce solar Heat gain and Miti-gates storM Water runoff. below a series of tiMe-laPse PHotograPHs brilliantly conveys tHe sPecial quality of ligHt found only on tHe Prairies.

PassiVe mechanical systems

consulting experts commissioned for Manitoba Hydro Place, all but one firm was Canadian.

The general well-being of architecture in this country stands to benefit from Manitoba Hydro’s commitment to building not the largest nor the tallest tower in the country, and not the slen-derest nor the most formally outstanding. In-stead, a quiet and didactic working laboratory for passive and sustainable energy performance is set in an urban environment and is open to the public. Bruce Kuwabara, the project’s design

architect, tells me that “this just might be one of the best ways to spend public money that I can think of.” Manitoba Hydro Place is challenging the nature of conventional large building targets in Canada. “It is long overdue,” Kuwabara says, “that we raise our standards.”

On track to achieve LEED Platinum, the project marks what Kuwabara describes as “a critical moment for Canadian architecture. The era of the hermetically sealed box is over. And so is the way we deliver projects of this stature and complex-

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Office lofts

Hanging wood screens

Access bridges

Water features

Geothermal well field

Parkade Public plaza

Green roof South grove

lobby

ity.” Manitoba Hydro Place is a game-changer. “The Class A office tower is a thing of the past,” he says. “The whole notion of B’s and A’s is a ri-diculous leftover of modern efficiency. Isn’t it weird that in the 21st century, we’re actually talk-ing about how good the quality of air is—that this is something we should actually talk about? How did we get here?”

Collected data for Class A office towers in Can-ada indicates that most cold-climate office tow-ers operate in a range of 400-550 kWh/m2 per year. Gouldsborough confirms that the average Manitoba office space utilizes 495 kWh/m2 per year. When the design of Manitoba Hydro Place began five years ago, the average Canadian office space used 550 kWh/m2 per year. Today, Winni-peg office towers are in the 325 kWh/m2 per annum range because of Manitoba Hydro initia-tives over the past decade. He also notes that new performance guidelines for Class A office towers in Canada are targeting energy consumption at 260kWh/m2 per annum.

Current consumption patterns at Manitoba Hydro Place demonstrate a projected energy use of 88 kWh/m2 per annum, 66 percent better than the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB). “And that surpasses the project target of being just 60 percent better than the MNECB,” Gouldsborough says.

The high-performance envelope is comprised of a double-glass curtain-wall system containing operable windows and automated solar shading. The system is comprised of low-iron glass which maximizes natural daylight entering floorplates, reducing demand for artificial lighting. Shallow

floorplates capitalize on this daylighting strategy: the workspace is only 11 metres from envelope to core, and while this is two metres deeper than code standards established in Germany around daylight design, it is shallower than local con-temporary examples. Where lighting does occur, advanced T-5 fluorescent fixtures are used.

Extending below the single storey of under-ground parking is the province’s largest geother-mal system with 280 boreholes, each one 125 metres deep. These tap the earth’s natural energy storage for both heating and cooling purposes. Because of the raised floor ventilation provided at each floor, the bulk of heating and cooling radiates from exposed concrete slabs above.

Three south-facing, six-storey “winter gar-dens” are lungs that condition incoming air. By capitalizing on available solar energy, these sus-pended atria add to a bevy of social spaces that perform vital functions in the passive operations of the complex. Here, multi-storey waterfalls flow down steel wires humidifying or dehumidi-fying air, depending on the season. Below, green roofs atop the three-storey podium feature sweet grass, a sacred plant of local Aboriginal cultures, and other native prairie plants. These assist in the reduction of stormwater runoff and are said to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, minimizing the building’s urban heat-island effect. Most im-portantly, an advanced fully integrated building management system coordinates ventilation, heating, lighting and solar shades throughout the day ensuring that the structure operates as a sin-gle entity while actively responding to changes in climate, use, environment, and operational re-

quirements.At the north apex of the atrium, a 115-metre-

tall solar chimney rises expressively over Portage Avenue above the bulk of the complex to capture the sun. It provides an energy-free passive venti-lation source by employing the natural stack ef-fect of a high-rise structure and drawing spent interior air up and outwards.

The CTBUH provides an annual internationally juried awards program to assess advances in tall-building technology on a continent-by-continent basis. This year’s jury statement noted that Mani-toba Hydro Place “was designed to be completely site-specific. The design could not be trans-planted to another city and still work, thus mak-ing it the perfect response to the seeming homo-g eni za tion of the world’s skylines.” This is quite an ironic description for a building that clearly gives a nod to Gordon Bunshaft’s canonical 1952 Lever House in New York City, a building many consider to have singlehandedly ushered in the generic International Style to the skylines of America. Bunshaft is credited with the statement “concrete, steel and glass are the natural materi-als of North America,” a broad notion of site specificity, to be sure.

Bunshaft’s seminal headquarters transformed the urban skyline in the 20th century because it revolutionized envelope constructability and per-formance through the design of the curtain wall. Manitoba Hydro Place pays homage to the Lever House both formally and in the reinvention of the curtain wall into a triple-glazed performative skin that mediates the behaviours of interior and exterior environments in a way Bunshaft could

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Exposed radiant ceiling slab heats and cools the space efficiently.

Overhead direct-indirect lighting uses integrated occupancy and daylight sensors to minimize energy consumption, and make maximum use of daylight.

Computer-con-trolled louvre blinds reduce glare and solar gain.

Computer-controlled exterior window vents allow air into the double skin when temper-atures allow.

Large-span struc-tural concrete ribs provide flexible column-free office lofts.

Manually controlled interior windows allow occupants to individu- ally control airflow and temperature at their workstations.

The perimeter edge of the slab has been shaped to allow for maximum daylight penetration into the building.

Exterior glazing uses extremely clear low-iron-content glass to allow more light into the work-space lofts.

Low-emissivity coatings help to reduce heat penetration at the façade.

Where a double skin is not employed, façades utilize high-efficiency triple glazing.

Humidification or dehumidification is pro-vided by a water feature in each atrium.

A second set of fan coils at each floor level fur-ther heats and cools the air as it is drawn into the raised floor at each level.

Oriented due south, the sixth-floor atria act as passive solar collectors in the winter, allowing the low winter sun to warm the air in the atria, and penetrate deep into the core of the building.

During the summer, horizon-tal blinds deploy and protect the atrium from the harsh summer heat and glare.

Six-storey-tall communication stair encourages physical activity and interdepartment communication.

Air is preheated at the exterior bench using glycol circulated through the geothermal field.

atrium

not have imagined. It subverts the generic nature of the overdone glass box and podium by context-ualizing it in a local, living, ecological response to place.

One major factor of place is the urban context. Hydro’s mandate went beyond technological per-formance. The renewal of resources included so-cial resources. The commitment to downtown development was not second nature to Hydro; word on the street is that it came at the insistence of Glen Murray, Winnipeg’s mayor from 1998 to 2004. Gouldsborough comments that when he helped broker the deal to merge Winnipeg’s hydro electric utility company with the Province’s Crown utility corporation, the proviso was that a new head office be built downtown. Hydro’s 1,800 employees were seen as an obvious and much-needed stimulus to the downtown econ-omy.

Stefano Grande, the Executive Director of Winnipeg’s Downtown Biz, comments that “a few decades from now, when we look back on what some of the turning points for downtown were,

the decision to relocate 2,000 workers in the heart of our city will be right up there.” He an-ticipates the precedent will spark a decade of re-vitalization. A host of cultural institutional land-marks currently under construction indicate that renewal in the city’s core is well underway.

Manitoba Hydro Place amalgamates 15 of the corporation’s two- and three-storey suburban leaseholds. Prior to the new facility, 95 percent of the employees drove to work. Hesitancy among employees to move to the downtown location was countered with a careful Change Management as-sessment conducted by Hydro to complement a host of corporate incentives ranging from par-ticipation in Winnipeg Transit’s EcoPass pro-gram. Six months after moving, Hydro cites that 50 percent of the relocated employees are leaving their cars at home. As a result, Manitoba Hydro has been able to reduce its parking demand in the downtown sector and has observed a five-fold in-crease in employee use of public transit com-pared to the previous year. Gouldsborough adds, “energy reductions were important, but primarily

we did this to create a healthy infrastructure for our employees.”

Further positive impact to the downtown ex-tends to the type of leasing opportunities offered in the base building. These are intentionally lim-ited in an effort to stimulate the support of local businesses and to encourage staff to experience their city. Though space exists for a child-care facility, research determined that the nearby YMCA’s child care program was under-enrolled and would benefit from the arrival of a new demographic.

The project was commissioned through an In-tegrated Design Process in which each team member was interviewed, selected and con-tracted directly by Hydro. Dudley Thompson, Principal of Prairie Architects, was retained as the Advocate Architect for the project. Kuwabara credits him with enabling a team of high-calibre experts to come together. As the first member of the team, Thompson spearheaded the Integrated Design Process and worked closely with Hydro to establish LEED objectives. In the pre-design and

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aboVe various atria tHrougHout tHe build-ing Provide sPace for socializing and iMProMPtu Meetings. oPPosite, bottom left to

right a vieW along Portage avenue illus-trates tHe building’s classic Modernist origins; tHe tHree-storey atriuM tHat constitutes tHe Main entrance also acts as tHe building’s Hub and connec-tion to an outdoor Public Plaza; a vieW doWn tHe central atriuM; an oPen stair terMinates tHe nortH-facing atriuM and adds WarMtH WitH its douglas fir clad-ding; one of tHe Many attractive stairs in tHe building, a gesture tHat encour-ages eMPloyees to use tHeM instead of elevators WHenever Possible.

research phase of the project, Thompson ar-ranged a field trip for Hydro executives to tour 10 high-performance buildings across the US and Europe.

When it came to the selection of the Design Architect for the project, a number of inter-national architects known for their success with bioclimatic design were interviewed along with KPMB. These included British architect Norman Foster, Stuttgart-based Behnisch Architekten, Germany’s Christoph Ingenhoven, and US-based Gensler. “With that roster, I can’t say we came to Winnipeg expecting to win,” says Kuwabara. Thompson recalls that “Bruce’s presentation was

simple and direct; we knew who we would be dealing with. The other groups came with too many people; we could not get a sense of who ac-tually would be doing the work with our team, if any of them. There was something about Bruce’s ability to listen and his interest in people that convinced us that he would work with the team to create an appropriate urban building for both Hydro and Winnipeg.”

“The process depends entirely on respect,” says Kuwabara. It is only as good as the individ-uals who participate in it. If there is distrust or stubbornness at the table, he says, the process is entirely compromised. Kuwabara cites his own

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— east and west faces offer a double-skin façade with occupant-controlled natural ventilation

— floor-to-ceiling height of 3.31m (10’10”)— floor-to-ceiling glazing, typical— overhead radiant heating and cooling— air and services distributed through raised

access floors

contained spaces 8’0” demountable solid and glass partitionsenclosed spaces 8’0” demountable solid and glass partitions, with glass transoms to ceilingatria north/south multiple floor atriums, with communication stairscore elevators, services and storageopen work stations50” tall panels

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client Manitoba Hydrointegrated design team KuWabara Payne McKenna bluMberg arcHitects (design arcHitect); sMitH carter arcHitects & engin-eers (executive arcHitect); transsolar KliMaengineering (energy/cliMate engineers); Prairie arcHitects inc. (advocate arcHitect/leed consultant)structural HalcroW yolles, crosier Kilgour & Partners ltd. mechanical/electrical aecoMlandscaPe PHilliPs farevaag sMallenberg, HilderMan tHoMas franK craM interiors KPMb arcHitects (base building and Public sPace), ibi grouP, nuMber ten arcHitecture grouP, esP environMental sPace Planning (interiors, office/WorKsPace)construction manager Pcl constructors canada inc.acoustical aercousticsbuilding enVeloPe brooK van dalen & associateswater features dan euser WaterarcHitecturegeothermal groundsolar energy tecHnologies, oMnicron consulting grouPquantity surVeyor HanscoMbcode & life safety leber rubestraffic/access/Parking nd lea engineers & Plannerslighting Pivotal ligHting design microclimate rWdi inc.Vertical transPortation soberMan engineeringgeotechnical engineer/hydrogeologist uMa engineer-ingmuniciPal & site serVices WardroP engineeringarea 695,742 ft2 budget $278 M (Project cost)comPletion sePteMber 2009

tyPical tower floor layout concePt site Plan

inexperience with IDP when he began the pro-ject. “I guess because I had not gone through it, I had no preconceptions of it—it was an open-minded event. I think many of us approached it this way. It worked well on this project because it was so well organized.”

Both Kuwabara and Thompson suggest that without Thomas Auer of Transsolar, whose ex-pertise in passive bioclimatic architecture and energy modelling spans two decades, Manitoba Hydro Place could not have been what it is today. “Thomas brought with him a wealth of experi-ence from Europe that doesn’t yet exist here,” says Kuwabara. His ability to react quickly to de-sign ideas based on that experience was an im-measurable asset to the team. “Thomas was in my office one day looking at some of the schemes that we had on the go before a big presentation to Hydro,” says Kuwabara, “and he casually com-mented that if we rotated one of our schemes 90 degrees, we could capitalize on the prevailing southerly winds and sun of Winnipeg.” Despite being from Germany, Auer’s intimate research and modelling of weather patterns around the city made him the resident expert on local cli-mate. “That was a beautiful moment in the pro-cess,” says Kuwabara, “everything just snapped into place. The urban design strategies that we were wrestling with to limit shadows on Portage, the effort to strengthen pedestrian connectivity on the site combined with the towers being situ-ated so as to open the atrium to the south, all of a sudden everything was in place.”

At $400 per square foot, Manitoba Hydro Place exceeds financially the objectives of many of local

developers building in a slow-growth city. “With the payback period for construction measured over 60 years instead of the more typical short-term investment “scenario,” says Kuwabara, he feels the commitment to such a long-range fore-cast reinforced the design team’s commitment to quality workspaces, systems durability, and the overall urban integrity of the project. Gouldsbor-ough claims that many of the project’s major de-sign elements—the bright open floor spaces, high ceilings, operable windows, advanced work-stations, and the 100 percent fresh-air ventila-tion system—are designed to maximize employee productivity and comfort as well as minimize energy consumption. These have untallied finan-cial advantages for any organization and are clear objectives as we move into the second decade of this century. ca

Peter Sampson is Principal of Peter Sampson Archi-tecture Studio in Winnipeg and is an Adjunct Profes-sor at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Archi-tecture.

left, toP to bottom tHe soutH façade of tHe building, overlooKing tHe neW Public Plaza; tHe 115-Metre-HigH solar cHiMney uses tHe stacK effect to HelP ventilate tHe toWer.

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a series of new buildings introduces an expressive architectural language that is relatively unfamiliar to the vancouver context.

proJect Langara CoLLege Library, Langara Student union and Langara CLaSSroom buiLding C, VanCouVer, britiSh CoLumbiaarchitects teepLe arChiteCtS inC. and aSSoCiate arChiteCtS ibi/hb arChiteCtStext matthew SouLeSphotos Shai giL

One of the most obvious things to say about Stephen Teeple’s new work at Vancouver’s Langara College is that it’s black. Literally. The new library’s exterior presents a hulking black concrete mass, the renovated classroom building is refaced in black metal panels, and the student centre is clad with black cementitious board. Not to ascribe too much meaning to a building’s colour, but in this case it’s difficult to resist. Every sizeable city has a dis-tinct architectural culture which inflects all aspects of design—including co-lour. Douglas Coupland’s idiosyncratic but insightful guide to Vancouver, City of Glass, smartly riffs on the city’s colour palette: a range of greens, a few blues, and grey—naturally—for the sky. But there’s no mention of black and I can’t think of any recent building in Vancouver in which the colour has figured so prominently. That Teeple has operated outside of the perva-sive Vancouver palette is not insignificant and is the signifying tip of a larg-er architectural agenda he has flown from Toronto to Vancouver.

Like many other cities, Vancouver’s architectural culture is relatively in-sular and, in more ways than one, it’s hard to imagine the new work at Lan-gara being produced by a local. In Metro Vancouver over the preceding de-

cades, there have been very few significant commissions designed by “out-siders.” At the same time it is readily apparent that Vancouver would benefit from more diversity in its architecture. An increased number of architects from elsewhere operating in the city could help address this shortcoming.

Architecture and urbanism in Vancouver are famed for their livability. This livability is most often described in terms of podium towers, ample green space, and generous civic programming, and is associated with the newer residential condominium districts of the central city. One might ex-tend this list to include ecological and environmental sensitivity in light of recent projects such as the new convention centre and the South East False Creek neighbourhood. What is less commonly discussed are the ways in which the ethos of livability impacts buildings and projects throughout the city and far beyond the residential zones of the central city. At its core, liva-bility prefaces the middle ground; for many good reasons it is anti-extrem-ism. The podium tower itself is literally a hybrid middle that combines the high density of the point tower with the more “human” scale of the row-house. A collateral result of pursuing this comfortable middle is a latent distrust of “form” or “shape”—the implication being that an overly shapely building must somehow disregard more important considerations related to livability and environmental performance. Too much form is superficial, the argument goes. This is, of course, an overly simplistic and reductive po-sition. Nevertheless it silently persists. Perhaps the most important contri-bution that Teeple Architects offer at Langara is a useful reminder that for-malism can be smart and meaningful—that is, how ambitious shapeliness and a resulting iconicism can be the product of polyvalent criteria ranging from environmental performance to social interactivity.

Langara College opened in 1965 and has been operating at its current campus on 49th Avenue in south Vancouver since 1970. With 23,000 stu-dents, it is one of Metro Vancouver’s major post-secondary institutions and

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is the only one with its primary campus directly inside the city of Vancou-ver. Occupying 20 acres within a detached-home neighbourhood, the cam-pus has until recently been defined by a collection of disparate and mostly Brutalist structures set among a sea of parking. The school is currently re-inventing itself through a 25-year master plan that seeks to unify its campus and connect it more effectively with its surrounding context. This effort, along with the new Canada Line subway, with a station two short blocks away, poise the campus to possibly take on a more central role in the intel-lectual and cultural life of the city.

Teeple Architects’ first and most important building on the campus is the new library—a 7,700-square-metre, three-storey rectangular mass that an-chors the western portion of the campus. As part of the master-plan strate-gy, the building buries former surface parking underground and helps con-figure and order its surroundings. To its north, a series of reflecting pools and a plaza extend from the main entrance to 49th Avenue, linking the building with the campus’s most important public edge. A three-storey-high interior circulation spine runs through the entire western edge of the building from the main entry—offering a major connection sequence be-tween planned future buildings that will straddle the library to its northwest and southwest. As the western boundary of a centrally located open space, it helps define a new student quadrangle.

While the library and its landscaping strategies give order to its surround-ing context, the process also acts in reverse, as exterior contingencies at

multiple scales shape the library building. Conceptually, we could describe the library as a concrete block that is deformed by external forces. In an am-bitious effort to naturally cool and ventilate the building, five wind tower voids are subtracted from the block, each facilitating air movement through the use of the stack effect. Primary vertical circulation is located within two of these voids, therefore allowing these environmental performance mecha-nisms to also function as organizational and experiential devices. The roof is warped into an undulating surface that responds to multi-directional wind movement in an effort to accelerate crosswinds, thereby enhancing the per-formance of the wind towers. A rooftop weather station monitors wind direc-tion, speed and humidity, and adjusts louvres in the wind towers accordingly. Again, environmental performance has palpably impacted the spatial form and experience of the building as the top floor of the library’s interior is de-fined by the strikingly exposed concrete undersurface of the curving roof that recalls the grand reading rooms of classical libraries—only here, form is at once grand and performative. In addition to the warped roofscape and the wind towers, exteriority inflects the building elsewhere. Two exterior sub-tractions drop down into the building in the form of sunken courtyards that are planted with trees—offering a visually rich interaction with living ecology deep within the procession of space. At the ground, the primary reflecting pool carves its way into the northern face of the building, resulting in visual connection with the pool from the interior and a dramatic overhang. At the southern edge, a primary axis from the central quadrangle cuts through the mass, again resulting in an overhang, but this time providing a walkway pro-tected from the rain.

This pushing and pulling is echoed in the interior circulation hall that runs north-south. A larger study zone extends into the hall as an elevated bridge, while smaller-scale study nooks pop out as glass boxes that offer connectivity to the movement below. A concrete stair devoted to the admin-istration offices similarly juts into the space. The result is a physical and interactive enlivening of the space. Elsewhere in the project, this formal clarity breaks down with sometimes less than successful results. A jarring instance is the undulating dropped ceilings on floors one and two. While clearly an echo of the concrete roof, this purely formal conceit devalues the performative formalism elsewhere in the scheme. Another example is the massing at the southwest corner. Here, the simple but provocative notion of a concrete block deformed by a series of forces and factors seems to have been abandoned in favour of a collage-like assembly of forms and materi-als; a berm-covered computer lab, a heroic glass stair, and the concrete mass dematerializing into planar elements.

Teeple’s newest building at Langara is the recently completed student centre that sits east of the library at the geographic heart of the campus. A dynamic “Y” plan that positions one of its lengths tightly between two existing classroom buildings with the other two lengths extending out as a figure into the central quadrangle, this building formally ties the campus together by offering a new circuit-like hub. Its modest area packs informal study lounge areas, a restaurant, and student union offices into a complex and energetic sectional arrangement. One of the challenges in lending unity to the disparate campus is to offer connection among a variety of differing ground elevations. Primary among these shifts is the drop from the existing entry levels of the neighbouring classroom buildings to the lower quad rangle. Through a series of ramps and stairs, the student centre resolves these differences in a build-ing that is radically spatially diverse. A high lounge space opens up to the quadrangle. A sleek interior ramp leads to a compressed restaurant that is tucked under the cellular of fices. Two tight stairs extend up into the office level. Another ramp runs up the exterior of the building and connects to a route between the existing classroom buildings, offering overlooks down into the centre and a bypass shortcut through the campus. The overall result is an

opposite top deSpite itS Striking bLaCk ConCrete maSS, the new Library SkiLLfuLLy refLeCtS the unique quaLitieS of VanCouVer’S Late-afternoon Sun. above ContraSting againSt the dark ConCrete, the CLear bright Light emanating from the Library iS further aC Cen tuated by refLeCting pondS aLong the buiLding’S perimeter.

26 canadian architect 01/10

array of spatial qualities that make this relatively small building feel large and varied.

Like the library building, exterior forces play a significant role in determining the form of the student centre. While the library derives much of its spatial logic from environmental performance criteria, the student centre prefaces its contin-gent location in relation to existing structures and ground heights. In both instances, Teeple successfully achieves a formally ambitious archi-tecture that is responsive to particular needs. However, in both buildings Teeple seems to un-dervalue restraint and persistent clarity. The purely formal conceit of the library’s undulating dropped ceiling on its lower floors is echoed in the student centre in idiosyncratic and almost ornamental little angles and tweaks in various planar and structural elements. This results in an overly fussy amalgam of elements in which the clarity of larger moves is compromised. It is not unreasonable to want both buildings to be calmer throughout, thereby allowing the strong, larger operations to be more appreciated.

In a city preoccupied with a notion of livability

left Set amidSt a refLeCtiVe LandSCape, the open Corner of the Library and CLaSS-room buiLding C CreateS a Softer and tranSparent arChiteCturaL expreSSion. middle, left to right the pLaStiCity of darkLy pigmented ConCrete haS reSuLted in the whimSiCaL expreSSion of an interior Stair; the upSide-down ziggurat-Shaped Corner of the new buiLding on Cam-puS. bottom left an axonometriC of the Library and CLaSSroom buiLding C iLLuStrateS the appLiCation of paSSiVe enVironmentaL ControLS SuCh aS pLant-ingS, naturaL VentiLation and atrium SpaCeS. bottom right aS iS typiCaL of muCh of teepLe’S work, an aSSembLage of in -expenSiVe materiaLS CreateS a dynamiC and effeCtiVe interior arChiteCture.

01/10 canadian architect 27

langara college library and classroom building client Langara CoLLegearchitect team Stephen teepLe, CheryL atkinSon, myLeS Craig, LuC bouLiane, martin bruCkner, Jeff ChriStianSon, hiLde heyVaertS structural gLotman SimpSonmechanical CobaLt engineeringelectrical StanteC, keen engineeringlandscape pfSinteriors teepLe arChiteCtS inC.leed ibi/hb arChiteCtScontractor bird ConStruCtionarea 80,000 ft2 budget $35 mcompletion 2007

langara student union and langara classroom building c client Langara CoLLegearchitect team Stephen teepLe, myLeS Craig, LuC bouLiane, Jeff ChriStianSon structural weiLer Smith bowerSmechanical imeC meChaniCaL ConSuLtantS/perez engineering Ltd.electrical geniVar, rfa ConSuLting eLeCtriCaL engineerSlandscape teepLe arChiteCtS inC.interiors teepLe arChiteCtS inC.leed enermodaL engineeringcontractor bird ConStruCtionarea 68,000 ft2 budget $18 mcompletion 2009

right ampLe feneStration and a Large, open atrium introduCe pLenty of natur-aL Light into the Library’S three StoreyS. bottom, left to right the Student union buiLd-ing’S interiorS Contain CurVed Con-Crete eLementS whereVer poSSibLe to frame ViewS and enhanCe interior CirCu Lation SpaCeS; the maSSing and expreSSion of the Same buiLding attemptS to CLarify exterior CirCuLation and out-door pubLiC SpaCeS within an otherwiSe inCoherentLy deVeLoped CampuS.

that often suspiciously views strong form as potentially superficial, Teeple has made an im-portant contribution in the work at Langara by demonstrating that this kind of architecture can indeed be responsive and responsible; that it can be grounded in the performative specificity of its location. Part of the rationale for choosing black as the dominant exterior colour is to make the buildings stand out in relation to Vancouver’s often overcast skies. Black itself is contingent and operative. We can only hope that more non-

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local architects will have the opportunity to ex-pand the range of possibilities in this fast-grow-ing metropolis. ca

Matthew Soules, MAIBC, is the director of Matthew Soules Architecture (MSA) and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Architecture and Landscape Architec-ture at the University of British Columbia.

4 CentraL quad5 new Library6 Line of exiSting buiLding

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32 canadian architect 01/10

north house Project

An extensive interdisciplinAry teAm Applies A rAnge of building And informAtion tech­nologies to design And build An import­Ant prototype for sustAinAble living.

teXt KAthy veliKov And geoffrey thünPhotos teAm north

Global transformation with respect to technol-ogy, culture and economy within the past two decades has brought about a serious internal re-consideration of the role of architecture. The modes in which architects operate within the world, the tools and techniques best suited to en-gage these new conditions, and the nature of ap-propriate pedagogic tools and approaches that will cultivate the next generation of professionals will help produce responsive and innovative architectural projects that will help improve the ways in which we engage and address contem-porary issues. Fundamental to this endeavour is the mobilization of the potential power of new partnerships between academic/practice/indus-try interests as an opportunity for complex col-laborations and the ability to engage within a broader set of disciplinary communities. These forms of successful partnerships will certainly test new limits for design innovation while serv-ing as a lever for advanced research funding op-portunities.

Only recently has architecture begun to de-velop productive industry/academia design re-search relationships such as those that have been common in the fields of technology, engineering and medicine. However, current government and

industry investment in green building research is still appallingly low, given the urgency in advan-cing innovations in green building technology, manufacturing processes and performance evaluation. A recent report by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) identified that in 2005, research in the US related to high-per-formance green building practices and technolo-gies amounted to only 0.2% of all federally fund-ed research and only 0.02% of the estimated value of annual US building construction. The condition is laden with potential, as a reliable and continually developing knowledge, practice and research base is essential to the advancement of building and urban design practice within the current mandate for buildings to reduce energy consumption and to increase renewable power generation associated with sustainable agendas. Potentials for researcher/practitioners in archi-tecture are beginning to emerge.

One scenario positioned to lever such out-comes is the US Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon, where international academia/indus-try teams construct, showcase and enter into competition fully solar-powered homes. The authors’ design research-based practice RVTR, initiated and led Team North, a multidisciplinary

Canadian team of students and faculty from the University of Waterloo, Simon Fraser University and Ryerson University, to design and complete the North House prototype for the 2009 com-petition. The North House prototype offers specific proof of a concept model of a broader set of goals that formed the basis for RVTR’s Latitude Housing System, designed for the 2008 Living Steel Sustainable Housing Competition, and expands on RVTR partners Velikov and Thün’s S.W.A.M.P. House which won a 2005 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence. The prototype combines module and panel methods of pre-fabrication, and aims to develop and demonstrate a whole-building strategy for solar-powered residential design that approaches questions of how to design buildings that are resilient and adaptive to climate extremes while maintaining strong connections to their surrounding land-scape, and how to develop new technologies, alternative energy systems and pre-fabricated customizable components optimized for high-performance net-energy-producing architecture. The prototype serves to test system components that can be applied to a range of residential typ-ologies. Following its participation in the 2009 competition, North House will become a living

aBoVe, LeFt to riGht southwest view of north house, instAlled on the nAtionAl mAll in wAshington, dc during the 2009 solAr decAthlon; the Alis touch screen is embedded into the continuous coriAn wAll surfAce in the Kitchen, which glows with vAriAble intensity As energy systems And wAter usAge of the home Are optimized; south fAçAde of north house At dusK.

technicaL

01/10 canadian architect 33

riGht two screen operAtions Are illus­trAted to highlight the mAny ApplicA­tions developed for the iphone by teAm north to monitor the performAnce of their protoype building using the AdAp­tive living interfAce system (Alis).

laboratory at the University of Waterloo where it will continue to be utilized for extensive per-formance monitoring, systems testing and occu-pancy evaluation. It will also operate as a highly visible site of public demonstration and educa-tion in solar living and energy conservation.

Project funding and financing was assembled through a network of governmental, institutional, industry and private support, providing grants, cash, product, and in-kind contributions. We be-lieve that this model of institutional, government and industry collaboration will be increasingly common where the discipline of architecture can promise and deliver on the design and produc-tion of projects that constitute leading-edge ap-plied research with recognizable and holistic products and outcomes. Similar efforts will be necessary to support development in the field of high-performance and experimental building technologies that both drive and lead contempor-ary demand and market awareness. Successful, compelling demonstrations of sustainable hous-ing are essential for consumers, builders and re-lated building industries to buy into sustainable housing as a marketable option and to transform the nature of contemporary offerings and prac-tices. Similarly, the context of collaboration between academic, industry, government and professional agents helps drive a model of prac-tice that moves beyond current discussions asso-ciated with the Integrated Design Process (IDP). Throughout the two-year research and design process of North House, Team North worked in direct contact with industry and manufacturers,

multi-disciplinary experts and practicing profes-sionals to develop individual system components of the project, each of which has been developed to the level of a working demonstrable prototype. Of these systems, two in particular—the DReSS (Distributed Responsive System of Skins), and the ALIS (Adaptive Living Interface System)—point towards new directions in high-perform-ance building design and technology integration.

The DReSS is based on the principle of layered high-performance clothing, where each layer performs a specific function contributing to inte-grated building performance. It combines active and passive technologies in the envelope of the building to result in a net-energy-producing building design. Automated exterior aluminum venetian blinds developed for exterior and cold weather use block 80 percent of solar radiation in the summer, while allowing individual control of clerestory tilt angles for light and view. In the winter, the shades retract and the large areas of highly insulated glazing (R-12.5 centre-of-glass rating) with selective UV coatings maximize pas-sive heating for the house. Intensive analysis was carried out to investigate over 60 glazing com-binations with different types of glass, films, coatings and configurations, from double-glazed

to quintuple-glazed to double façades. Based on this investigation, a quad-glazed krypton-filled unit was chosen due to an optimum balance of U-value, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) and solar transmittance. The glazing panels are pos-itioned within a custom structural wood curtain wall system deploying rubberized “thermally inert” caps on the vertical and fibreglass caps on horizontal joints to maximize frame efficiency. Phase-change materials (PCMs) integrated in the floor assembly mitigate temperature fluctuations and store daytime heat for release during the night. The exterior shades are linked to a custom sensor and control system that tracks the sun throughout the day and season, providing for a highly environmentally responsive envelope that continually allows for natural light and views. In-terior shades provide privacy and are paired with the custom parametrically modelled and panel-

34 canadian architect 01/10

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lized interior ceiling system to reduce glare, diffuse natural and artificial LED lighting, and dampen acoustics within the house. Solar-power genera-tion includes a rooftop BAPV (Building Applied Photovoltaic) array, as well as highly efficient glass-encapsulated BIPV (Building Integrated Photo-voltaic) façades on the east, south and west elevations which capture low sun angles in winter months and in the early and late parts of the day. Solar thermal collectors provide hot water for resident use and for running the highly efficient solar-assisted reversible heat pump system (also custom-designed for the house) that very efficiently heats and cools the house. Operable windows provide passive ventilation in the shoulder seasons. These systems, in combination with R-66 opaque envelope com-ponents, are designed to make North House a net-energy producer within the demanding conditions of northern climates. Excess energy from the total 13.5 kWp PV system can be sold back to the electrical grid, taking advantage of the feed-in tariff program recently introduced by the Ontario Power Authority that pays up to $0.8 kWh for small-scale indepen dent energy production.

The ALIS and smart-home control system combines a customized set of advanced controls with direct and ambient feedback systems intended to enhance and mediate individuals’ relationships to the complex technologies and systems of the home. Touch screens with a custom graphic user inter-face are integrated in the home to easily and intuitively control the lights, shades, and climate settings in the house. An ambient display of variable LED lights signals energy and water use, and through subtle cues, fosters behavioural reinforcement of sustainable use of the home. ALIS also deliv-ers a series of community-based Web application tools that have been de-signed to support the North House resident in maintaining low-energy-use living patterns. The resident can compete in energy reduction challenges, compare energy stats against the community average, and share energy-saving advice through a series of Web-based forums.

An emerging area of research in the design of sustainable buildings examines the extent to which the occupants of that building are engaged and involved with its operation. Research has found that actions of building oc-cupants can account for significant variations in building energy use. The motivation for the design of North House, ALIS is rooted in the observation that intelligent buildings are not just automated but provide the occupants with the information and access to help the building operate more effi-ciently. Supporting behavioural transformations that lead toward energy-saving living patterns, the ALIS moves beyond automated controls to direct-

ly address the needs of residential occupants by providing an easy-to-use ubiquitous interface that helps the occupant control the systems of the house while integrating the user’s lifestyle and providing meaningful per-formance feedback. Working with human test subjects within the university and with computer software design consultants, the design team developed the ALIS system for North House under the principles of ubiquity, context-ually appropriate information and control, integration with life, and mean-ingful performance feedback. The extent of the automation within the home was continually at the forefront of the discussion, as was the integration with currently accepted technologies such as smart phones and internet tools. The system is currently in a beta testing stage and is intended to undergo several rounds of development before its commercialization.

These are just two examples of several within the project where the creation of multidisciplinary teams to work on specific areas of focus within the overall project generated highly innovative solutions, brought to proof-of-concept stage in remarkably short time frames. In total, almost 80 graduate and undergraduate students were involved in a number of course offerings throughout the project’s development that valourized this form of “learning though doing” from a range of disciplinary silos. Ten graduate students from the University of Waterloo were paid for their full-time work on the project and their contributions formed the basis of their graduate thesis requirements. We believe this kind of design research pedagogy will become increasingly dominant within architectural education in the coming years. In some instances, these students now possess expertise and experi-ence beyond the level of most professional offices that they will soon join.

Facilitation of the North House prototype’s manufacture was enabled by its ability to operate outside of traditional project procurement constraints. Certainly, relationships with industry manufacturers were essential to its realization. These range from direct product donation, to at-cost supply, technical consultation and collaboration, and the manufacture of new cus-tomized products developed to suit the low-energy demands of the proto-type. Numerous products deployed in the project are drawn from foreign commercial applications, and required special testing in order to meet do-mestic building code requirements. Rather than tendering the project to a general contractor, Team North operated as project managers with Toronto-based expert fabricators MCM2001 Inc. who handled the fabrication, in-stallation and construction of the prototype on a cost-plus basis. This ar-rangement permitted extensive refinement of project details in terms of both material and process selection during construction, in direct day-to-day dialogue with design team members at the construction site. Team members revised as-built drawings and specifications along the way, with the entire prototype being fabricated in just under 12 weeks.

For RVTR, this project represents its first foray into design research at the scale of prototype manufacture, and has reinforced the belief that this alternative model of practice model will yield significant disciplinary out-comes and transformation in the future. Beyond the development of the first proof-of-concept prototype, several research streams focused on re-sponsive building envelopes, energy-producing façades, building auto-mation interface systems, and module-based mass-customization strategies have emerged from the North House project and will be developed over the next several years with new partners and collaborative networks. ca

Geoffrey Thün and Kathy Velikov are partners in RVTR, a research-based practice currently located in Toronto. Kathy Velikov is an Assistant Professor and Geoffrey Thün is an Associate Professor at the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan.

Team North is comprised of over 80 graduate students, faculty collaborators, de–sign professionals, industry partners, and product manufacturers. For a full list of Team North credits, see www.rvtr.com/rvtrWeb/TEAM_NORTH_CREDITS.pdf. For more information on the North House Project, see www.team-north.com.

1 bipv solAr pAnels2 interior blinds3 thermAlly inert rubber mullion cAp4 exterior motor housing5 pcm sAlt hydrAte phAse­chAnge mAteriAl

cAptures And stores heAt in floor, releAsing it on cool evenings

6 thermAlly broKen douglAs fir struc­turAl curtAin wAll

7 quAd glAzing8 exterior Aluminum shAdes

enVeLoPe aXonometric

01/10 canadian architect 35

report

tiles for MilesSome highlightS are preSented from CerSaie 2009, the international eXhiBition of CeramiC tile and Bathroom fUrniShingS held annUally in Bologna, italy.

teXt leSlie Jenphotos Brian dUSt, UnleSS otherwiSe noted

mUtina

CERSAIE, the international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, takes place every autumn in Bologna, a northern Italian city filled with sensory delights, where sights, smells and tastes arouse the most jaded of travellers. Archi­tecturally, the city is striking: from above, the red roofs of the buildings form a monochromatically rosy textured surface; from the street, the grand arcades in the historic city centre shelter pedes­trians from the blazing sun. And in the crowded shop windows of the food purveyors in the Qua­di latero district off Piazza Maggiore, the mind­boggling array of produce, pasta, seafood and cured meats astounds: vying for your attention are alarmingly giant legs of prosciutto and bound and bulging mortadellas the size of toddlers.

This richly historic city draws a number of massive trade shows year­round, as its exhibition venue in the Fiera district is one of the largest in Europe. CERSAIE 2009 kicked off its five­day run on September 26, and despite recessionary times, it was a sold­out event that featured over 1,000 exhibitors and 83,137 visitors from Italy and abroad. Given the economic woes of the past year, the theme of “Building, Dwelling, Think­ing”—borrowed from Heidegger’s seminal essay—encouraged reflection on issues beyond com­merce to larger existential themes.

Located just a few kilometres from the city centre, the Bologna Fiere venue is visible from some distance—Kenzo Tange’s adjacent six­tower office structure (1989­1994) serves as a land­mark. The space devoted to CERSAIE is vast—1.9 million square feet, most of it devoted to ceramic tile, and the rest showcasing the latest in slick bathroom furnishings. The sheer volume of tile on display is inconceivable to most: there are tiles that look like tiles, and then there are tiles made to look like wood, like stone, like wallpa­per, like wainscoting, like fabric, like anything. They amaze with limitless textures, colours, geo­metric patterns, floral motifs, iridescent and matte finishes and everything in between.

The design and production of ceramic tile is a vital industry in Italy. CERSAIE is clearly a show geared to buyers; a whole lot of business is being conducted at the tables located at the back of every

exhibition booth. And even within the contextless environment of the immense, airless exhibition halls, there is a clear reminder that one is still in this most fashionable city of Bologna: how do the armies of impeccably tailored suits maintain the razor­sharp creases in their chic, narrowly cut wool trousers despite the wilting heat?

What does become quickly evident is the tradi­

tion, craft, expertise and pride in the Italian de­sign industry, a sensibility that is understandably not as developed in Canada. With a centuries­old culture of extensive artisanal production, it’s hard to compete.

The bounty of Bologna’s rich history was shared with visitors and participants through a number of events that were held in architecturally signifi­

aBoVe the main entry into the Bologna fiere CompleX. clocKWise froM BottoM riGht one of the more dramatiC diSplayS at CerSaie evokeS the loCh neSS monSter; SUperStar SpaniSh deSigner patriCia UrqUiola haS eXpanded her repertoire to inClUde “déChirer,” a line of teXtile-inSpired CeramiC tile for mUtina; a BeaUtifUlly ornate and whimSiCal tile moSaiC evidenCeS the Still-viBrant tradition of Craft in italy.

36 canadian architect 01/10

cant buildings around the city. The Arena del Sole, a grand Neoclassical structure on via Indipendenza, the city centre’s main thoroughfare, was the venue of choice for an international press conference featuring representa­tives from the Italian Trade Commission, Confindustria Ceramica and Mapei. Immediately following, a gala awards dinner was held at the spectac­ular Basilica di Santo Stefano, whose origins are thought to date back as far as the 5th century. This complex of religious buildings includes four linked Ro­manesque churches along with a medieval cloister and various courtyards and accessory spaces. With dramatic blue uplighting clearly articulating the Basilica’s striking architectural detail against a clear and cloudless night sky, it could easily have functioned as the set of a Fellini film.

As if this were not inspiration enough, one memorable highlight of CER­SAIE was the keynote lecture delivered by Pritzker Prize­winning Italian architect Renzo Piano. From a vast body of work in virtually every part of the world, notable projects include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (1977) designed with Richard Rogers, Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan (1987­1990), and the recently completed Art Institute of Chi­cago expansion (2009).

Rather startling was the anticipation preceding the event, a fever pitch that is usually reserved only for rock stars. Hordes of eager fans queued outside the Palazzo dei Congressi hours before Piano’s scheduled appearance, and ultimately, dozens were turned away at the door, despite the abundant over­flow crowds that gathered in the expansive lobby of the venue hoping to at least catch a glimpse of the revered architect on a televised screen.

The impossibly elegant and articulate Piano took the stage and transfixed the audience with a highly compelling presentation entitled “Creating Architecture.” Augmenting his lecture with an impressive selection of slides, Piano emphasized the importance of site and context as the essence of each project, and that craftsmanship is as important as science in build­ing—hence, his emphasis on model­making as a critical part of the design

process. His participation in this year’s CERSAIE introduced a three­year (2009­2011) joint venture between Confindustria (the Italian employers’ federation) and the Renzo Piano Foundation, an initiative which admits 16 young architecture students for six­month work­experience programs in Piano’s Genoa and Paris offices.

Piano was not the only design superstar in attendance at CERSAIE: Milan­based Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola introduced a line of ceramic tile for Mutina, just one example of the increasing number of high­profile designer/manufacturer collaborations taking place. Trained as an architect in her native Spain, Urquiola is best known for her interiors and furnish­ings. At the show, she unveiled “Déchirer,”a collection of large, unglazed porcelain stoneware tiles, the surfaces of which are embossed with a deli­cate, almost lacey texture, creating evocative patterns of light and shadow. Cut into hexagonal shapes, the ceramic tiles also function as tops in Urquio­la’s “Bugs”collection of tables for Mutina’s interior design collection.

In keeping with the existential nature of the show’s theme, the future of building and our planet was addressed through a dominant focus on sus­tainable solutions and energy­saving technologies. A major feature of CER­SAIE was an outdoor exhibition entitled Green Street: Landscape Meets Archi-tecture, in which ceramic tiles were utilized extensively to demonstrate how the use of ceramic, a product made from natural raw materials, minimizes environmental impact. A plethora of seminars were offered that furthered the sustainability objective, covering topics such as energy remediation for existing buildings, and the role of ceramic tiles in the energy/environmen­tal certification of buildings.

The mantra of reduce, reuse and recycle has been adopted by virtually every tile manufacturer at CERSAIE. A real commitment to sustainability is evidenced through the reduction of material in the form of thinner tiles which can still withstand high traffic, the use of recycled materials such as glass and electronic appliance waste to make new tiles, and the reuse of wastewater derived from the production of ceramic tile.

CERSAIE proved that despite global economic setbacks, the ceramic tile industry is thriving. This recent showcase of beautiful product in a beautiful city reminds us that it is now more important than ever to educate ourselves and to keep abreast of new developments in the international design com­munity and in the materials we spec to ensure we fulfill our commitment to a healthy and sustainable future. ca

aBoVe, left to riGht a glorioUS view of the red-roofed City of Bol-ogna; CrowdS gather in antiCipation of renzo piano’S keynote leCtUre. BottoM, left to riGht marazzi preSentS a teXtUred pattern of dotS in high-gloSS red; trend offerS a wallpaper-inSpired finiSh throUgh artfUlly laid tiny moSaiC tileS; d’agoStino getS Creative at CerSaie, USing a grid of lemonS to form Booth partition wallS; taking a Break in the vaSt eXhiBition CompleX.

marazzi trend CeramiC tileS of italy/lUCiano BUSani

MAPEI helps world-class venues go for LEED certificationWith over 3 decades of experience supplying products for Olympic buildings and sports facilities around the world, MAPEI’s reputation for providing outstanding flooring solutions earned it the privilege of contributing premium LEED-compliant surface preparation, concrete repair and adhesive products and systems that helped construct 6 major venues for the upcomingVancouver Olympics.

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01/10 canadian architect 39

Product ShowcaSe

Sustainable drainage with aco drainSustainable drainage is an element of the ‘Hydrological Cycle’. It is the collection of rainwater, its treatment and, ultimately, its reuse. Trench drains are ideal for the capture and collection of storm water run-off. They form a barrier to prevent rainwater run-off flowing onto the soft land-scaping where collection is more dif-ficult. This is of particular importance if the risk of contamination is high, such in vehicle trafficked areas.

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translucent daylighting for educationCPI manufactures skylights, wall-lights and canopies for schools. CPI translu-cent canopies provide excellent shelter and allow natural glare-free daylight in, unlike opaque roof canopies that block light to the adjacent windows. Clearspan™ canopies offer a single source pre-engineered system from the ground up. Custom canopies are available in a range of configurations. Choose CPI’s standing seam leak-proof systems for a maintenance-free and durable daylighting solution.www.cpidaylighting.comcircle rePly card 101

Goal! lasting energy efficiency at the 2010 winter GamesAs an Official Supplier of Insulation Materials to the 2010 Winter Games, Dow Chemical Canada, ULC is help-ing bring new levels of energy effi-ciency to many Games venues. Energy-efficient products from Dow Building Solutions, including STYROFOAM™ brand insulation, provide long-lasting thermal efficiency for a more sustain-able Games.

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Granular Series exterior FinishEnhance your building’s exterior with Vicwest’s Granular Series. Our granu-lar series finish reflects the appear-ance of stucco without the drawbacks of early wear-and-tear. With an infin-ite range of colours, the granular ser-ies can be applied to steel cladding profiles, insulated metal panel profiles and architectural panels all with the option for anti-graffiti coating.

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walltite eco™ By BaSF — the cheMical coMPanyWALLTITE ECO is a medium-density polyurethane foam insulation/air bar-rier system. Its formulation in cludes re-cycled plastic, renewable content and a zero ozone-depleting blowing agent, qualifying it as the first closed-cell spray polyurethane insulation to obtain the EcoLogoM, North America’s most widely recognized multi-attribute environmental certification. WALLTITE ECO’s industry-leading performance results in substantial energy savings, thus reducing energy costs.

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introducing MeMBrain™MemBrain™ is a smart, breathable alter native to 6 mil. poly. This inno va-tive new vapour barrier allows mois-ture to escape, keeping walls dry year round. When wall cavity humid ity in-creases, MemBrain™ adapts by in-creas ing its permeability. This allows moisture to escape, reducing mould, mildew and related risks. Proven in Europe for more than ten years, this patented technology was recently intro duced in Canada (CCMC 13270-R). MemBrain™ can be utilized as a va pour barrier and a continuous, in te-rior air barrier. www.certainteed.comcircle rePly card 105

Sort recycling SystemSort™ is not just a litter receptacle by another name; it’s a versatile recycling system with a sustainable point of view. Created by John Rizzi, Sort offers a flexible system of collection bins and organizing powdercoated steel basket for interior and exterior use, designed specifically for re-cycling.

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Metl-Span’s architectural insulated Metal wall PanelThe Metl-Span CF Architectural wall panel is ideal for high-profile architec-tural applications. The panels may be installed either vertically or horizon-tally for maximum design flexibility. Multiple module widths and joint reveals add to the design variations available. Attached with concealed clips and fasteners in the side joint, CF Architectural wall panels provide a beautiful flush appearance.

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calendar

the Films of John lennon and yoko ono 1970-1972January 28, 2010 As part of the Inter-mission: Films from a Heroic Future series at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, at 7:00pm UbuWeb founder Kenneth Gold-smith presents four rarely seen films by and about John Lennon and Yoko Ono.www.cca.qc.ca/intermission

Origamic ArchitectureUntil February 25, 2010 This exhibi-tion at the Japan Foundation in Toronto involves the three-dimen-sional reproduction of architecture, geometric patterns and everyday objects through cut and folded paper. Varieties of existing build-ings of the world, from historical to contemporary, are included in this show. All models are designed by the late Masahiro Chatani (1934-2008) singlehandedly. Half of the exhibited models are freshly con-structed in Toronto by local Cana-dian folders.www.jftor.org

Jack diamond lectureFebruary 3, 2010 As part of Carleton University’s Forum Lecture Series, Jack Diamond of Diamond & Schmitt Architects in Toronto lec-tures at 6:00pm at the National Gal-lery in Ottawa. Admission is free and open to the general public.architecture@carleton.ca

Kelly Shannon lectureFebruary 4, 2010 Kelly Shannon, Professor of Architecture, Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, will lecture at 6:30pm in Room ARC202 of the Ryerson Architecture Building in Toronto.

Leonardo da Vinci: The Mech-anics of ManFebruary 6-May 2, 2010 For the first time in history, the anatomical drawings of Leonardo da Vinci’s Anatomical Manuscript A will be on view in their entirety in this exhibi-tion at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Comprised of a series of 18 sheets created during the winter of 1510, 16 of which have drawings on both

sides, this celebrated group of ex-quisitely rendered compositions represents stunning achievements in both art and science. With more than 240 individual drawings and 13,000 words written in Leonardo’s unique mirror-image script, Ana-tomical Manuscript A is a treatise on the human body created centuries ahead of its time.www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

Francine houben lectureFebruary 11, 2010 Francine Houben of Mecanoo Architecten in Delft, Netherlands, will lecture at 6:30pm in Room ARC202 of the Ryerson Architecture Building in Toronto.

net Zero energy lifestyle in canadaFebruary 11, 2010 As part of the Build ing Ecology, Science and Tech nology Lecture Series at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Archi-tecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto, Sevag Pogharian delivers this lecture from 6:00-8:30pm. Pogharian is pushing

the borders of net zero buildings by creating the Alstonvale Net Zero House, one of the winning projects in Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s EQuilibrium Sus-tainable Housing Demonstration Initiative. www.daniels.utoronto.ca

werner Sobek lectureFebruary 15, 2010 Werner Sobek of Werner Sobek Engineering & De-sign in Stuttgart delivers the Steel Structures Education Foundation Lecture at 6:00pm in Room G10 of the Macdonald-Harrington Building at McGill University in Montreal.

naSa archive 1966-1972February 18, 2010 As part of the Inter-mission: Films from a Heroic Future series at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, Christo-pher Riley, co-curator of the NASA material presented in Intermission, speaks at 7:00pm about the origins of the NASA film archive and its preservation, and explains the tech-nical demands of filming in space

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MaPei’s new Planiprep FF skim coat compound raises the industry barHighly engineered, fiber-reinforced Planiprep™ FF feather-finish, cement-based skimcoat and patching com-pound offers outstanding results when dealing with minor defects on virtually any substrate. Following application of this polymer-rich, smooth, installer-friendly compound, one can expect a strong, durable, high-compressive-strength surface that is ready to re-ceive almost any flooring installation after only 30-60 minutes. More information at www.mapei.com.circle rePly card109

hambro® d500: a smart structural floor solution When evaluating your next multi-unit residential or commercial construction project, factor in the many benefits of Hambro’s proven structural floor system that offers: an economical and efficient solution, longer spans, con struc tion flexibility, high fire resistance, and outstanding acoustical properties. Hambro’s system fits perfectly with a variety of wall types: masonry, steel frame, metal stud, pre-cast walls, ICF blocks and wood walls. Contact us to see how. 1-800-871-8876 www.hambro.ws/architectscircle rePly card 110

accuPly Fascia and Soffit SystemFlynn Canada’s new AccuPly compos-ite fascia and soffit panel system is a cost-effective approach to new and retrofit construction. It incorporates aluminum composite wall panels and an extrusion grid system that is eco-nomical and easy to install. It is an ideal alternative to more expensive “structural” panel systems. Accuply can be incorporated as an exterior or interior modular wall cladding for new construction and/or any retrofit appli-cations.

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01/10 canadian architect 41

For more inFormation about these, and additional list-ings oF Canadian and inter-national events, please visitwww.canadianarchitect.com

and the continuing importance of this footage.www.cca.qc.ca/intermission

Vitória Stone Fair 2010 February 23-26, 2010 This event takes place in Vitória, Espírito Santo in Brazil.www.vitoriastonefair.com.br

Bernardo Gómez-Pimienta lectureFebruary 25, 2010 Bernardo Gómez-Pimienta of BGP Arquitectura in Mexico City will lecture at 6:30pm in Room ARC202 of the Ryerson Architecture Building in Toronto.

Moonwalk One: The Director’s CutFebruary 25, 2010 As part of the Inter-mission: Films from a Heroic Future series at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, this film was originally made in 1970 as the definitive documentary about the Apollo 11 program. It was never widely released even though the filmmakers were given un prece-

dented access to NASA. The only surviving 35-mm print was discov-ered and remastered in 2007 with additional footage added to com-plete this amazing time capsule, which screens at 7:00pm.www.cca.qc.ca/intermission

Francis westley lectureFebruary 25, 2010 Francis Westley will deliver a lecture as part of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design’s (EVDS) Design Matters lecture series. De-sign Matters intends to engage the Calgary community in thoughtful discussions on how the design of our material culture impacts our daily lives and the well-being of the environment we inhabit. The lecture takes place at The Uptown, located at 610 8th Ave SW in Calgary.

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42 canadian architect 01/10

BackPage

aBOVe, LeFt tO right Two renderings of The green ribbon—a speculaTive proposal To Transform ToronTo’s gardiner express-way inTo an urban park.

the thin green Line

an archiTecT’s desire To improve The sus-TainabiliTy facTor and general well-being of his ciTy is noTed.

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As a society, we tend to praise the entrepreneurial spirit of those who demonstrate acumen in gener-ating new ideas, persevering with them until com-pletion. There may be even greater praise for those who can take an idea, allow it to gather mo-mentum, and connect it with the zeitgeist of the day. Needless to say, turning ideas into reality takes relentless hard work and politicking to en-sure that all the proverbial ducks are lined up in a row. A recent example of such an entrepreneurial and speculative endeavour is the “Green Ribbon.” Presented by architect Les Klein last June at an ideaCity conference, Klein’s proposal involves transforming a section of Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway that runs along the edge of Lake On-tario and across the city’s downtown core into an elevated swathe of green space for bicycles and pedestrians instead of cars. Spurred on by his well-received public presentation and a spate of media attention thereafter, he has been busy pitching the idea ever since, hoping to eventually see the Green Ribbon built. What makes his pro-posal so interesting to so many people is the fact that it incorporates several feel-good principles of sustainable design ranging from reducing the heat-island effect and offsetting carbon dioxide emissions, to generating renewable forms of elec-tricity and mitigating the effects of the automobile in the city.

When Klein, principal of Quadrangle Archi-tects, first presented the Green Ribbon, another

elevated park had just been completed and opened to the public—the first section of Man-hattan’s High Line. The High Line was built in the 1930s as part of a public-private infrastruc-ture project and remained operational until 1980. Rising nearly 10 metres above grade, it removed freight trains from street level, thereby segregat-ing two modes of transportation in the city. By 1999, a community-based non-profit group known as Friends of the High Line was formed to preserve and maintain the disused rail lines as an elevated public park. It wasn’t until 2001 when the visually arresting photographs of the High Line taken by Joel Sternfeld brought the neglect-ed infrastructure into the public imagination. Sternfeld’s images of wild grasses growing on top of the old railway allowed politicians and citizens alike to appreciate the poetry and potential of such a place.

The High Line needed to be transformed into a magical and economically viable place. So, when James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofi-dio + Renfro won the commission to transform the abandoned railway into an elevated urban park in 2004, the two firms needed to reformu-late the vision for the 2.4-kilometre-long piece of infrastructure. Its success has been immediate and its transformation has proven to be an awe-inspiring addition to the city, altering visitors’ perspectives of the surrounding world. During its first six months in operation, the High Line has attracted nearly 2 million visitors.

Nevertheless, the High Line is not without criticism. There are numerous rules that visitors must obey, such as not walking in certain areas, sitting on railings or climbing on any part of the elevated structure. Due to the limited area of the

pathways and the fragility of the new plantings, pets are not allowed either. Fittingly, a cartoon that appeared in The New Yorker last September depicted a number of dogs leashed to steel col-umns amidst garbage cans in the dark and dirty streets below, while their more fortunate owners enjoyed ice cream cones, drank Starbucks coffee, and otherwise experienced the city from a level of blissful detachment high above the city.

Undaunted by such criticism and inspired by the success of the High Line, Klein is convinced that Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway can be simi-larly transformed. He sees the potential for the Green Ribbon as a seven-kilometre-long urban park complete with cycling and pedestrian path-ways, plantings, and both wind turbines and photovoltaic panels to generate enough electricity to power the lighting and electrical systems needed to sustain the park. He estimates that the park could be built for about half of the $1.2 to 1.8 billion needed to take down the expressway alto-gether. Some engineering and costing reports have been prepared to add legitimacy to Klein’s crusade, and he has been seeking out allies from both public and private sectors for additional support. If anything, it has given his firm, which was founded in 1986, a resurgent voice to speak about sustainable design issues on an urban level, providing inspiration for other architects like him to initiate new design opportunities in the public realm. ca

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